Marvel Studios' first animated series What If...? welcomes fans into a new exploration of the MCU multiverse. With the show's announcement over two years ago and a first look trailer released six months ago, the anticipated series promises to take viewers through a massive exploration of the multiple timelines that exist in the Marvel World.
What If...? is one of many projects Marvel is making through Disney Plus. With the release of the series coming up on August 11, a new and official trailer takes viewers on a deeper dive into what to expect out of the show. While the first What If...? trailer introduced The Watcher (Jeffery Wright) as the main character and narrator of the show, in addition to explaining the premise of exploring different possible events in the Marvel Universe, this new preview shows off some short scenes and even more characters.
The new What If...? trailer starts off with a confused Tony Stark as he is thrown into the middle of a war zone only to be saved by Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). The trailer goes on to introduce some of the different universes, with a narration from the Ancient One and possibly Ultron as they explain the shifting realities of time and space. Doctor Strange is sucked into a black hole, Yondu Udonta (Micheal Rooker) battles Kree Soldiers with T'Challa (Chadwick Bosman), and more excursions occur through time. A litany of scenes also shows all the classic Marvel characters in various states: alive, fighting, zombified, dead, missing, young, old, and in different embodiments. The What If...? trailer mixes an air of sincerity and action with the usual Marvel comedic elements to round the show out.
What If...? will be directed by Bryan Andrews, who has a large history in animated shows such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The series has a unique cel-shaded animation style that will best reflect not only the Marvel universe but comic books themselves. The cel-shaded technique gives the animation a purposefully non-realistic look, making images look more flat as if they are drawn on paper. Other notable voice actors and characters in the show include Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Josh Brolin as Thanos, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, and many more. Most of the main actors from the beloved movie franchise will return to voice their characters on the show (Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, etc.).
What If...? is set up to be one of the most distinctive contributions to the MCU this year. With Loki becoming Marvel's most successful show on Disney Plus, it will be interesting to watch how this show stands up. Marvel already approved a second season of the show, showing a level of commitment to the series. The first season will consist of 10 episodes.
What If...? is set to premiere on August 11th, 2021, on Disney Plus.
Source: Marvel Entertainment/ YouTube